{"id":139,"date":"2011-06-27T00:58:26","date_gmt":"2011-06-27T00:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/?page_id=139"},"modified":"2011-11-27T20:17:37","modified_gmt":"2011-11-27T20:17:37","slug":"the-cathedral-basilica-in-covington","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/?page_id=139","title":{"rendered":"The Cathedral Basilica in Covington"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Editor’s note: Lissa posted this article on her website on March 4, 2010. She loved visiting historic churches, and the Basilica was one of her favorite places.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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The majestic Cathedral Basilica in Covington.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Lissa Kramer<\/p>\n

St. Mary\u2019s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, or simply, \u201cThe Basilica\u201d rises above Madison Avenue, its golden brilliance silhouetted against the darkness and lending a little bit of old-world grace to the pawn shops, bars and auto parts stores of the gritty streets.\u00a0 Tired people shuffle toward the western corners of Twelfth and Madison across the street from the enormous church, their eyes coming to rest on its exquisite loveliness before continuing on their way. \u00a0At night, the Basilica can make you forget you are standing in front of a Walgreens or an army supply store in Covington, Kentucky.<\/p>\n

An obvious question is \u201cWhy is this beautiful church a cathedral basilica instead of a regular cathedral?\u201d\u00a0 According to the church\u2019s website, http:\/\/www.covcathedral.com\/<\/a>, the difference between a cathedral and a basilica is one of dignity, antiquity, historical significance or importance to the diocese.\u00a0 In the case of St. Mary\u2019s, all of these are true.<\/p>\n

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Interior of the Cathedral Basilica looking toward the altar.<\/p><\/div>\n

The dignity is hard to miss.\u00a0 It is 81 feet tall and 180 feet long.\u00a0 It was built in the Thirteenth Century French Gothic style of architecture that was popular during the middle ages.\u00a0 The exterior is a one-third size replica of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France (not Paris, Kentucky)! \u00a0\u00a0Twenty-six Italian-carved gargoyles, or glorified gutters, divert rainwater and protect the church from evil spirits. The gargoyles, which look like tortured animals with human bodies, represent humans who are suffering under the burden of sin.<\/p>\n

The interior of the church is modeled on the Abbey Church of St. Denis in Paris, where Marie Antoinette, among others, is buried in a crypt.\u00a0 \u00a0The sanctuary is 54 feet long and 37 feet wide.\u00a0 The slender columns of Indiana limestone stand 26 feet tall and support the delicate triforium and clerestory levels.<\/p>\n

The arches and vaults used in Gothic cathedrals have a higher and narrower confluence, or centerpoint, than Romanesque arches, which have a rounder appearance.\u00a0 The gothic arches give the interior a vast, soaring atmosphere.\u00a0 The arches distribute the weight of the heavy stone and transfer it to the ground through a series of ribbed, or groin vaults, which are made of two intersecting arches.<\/p>\n

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Gargoyles atop the Cathedral Basilica.<\/p><\/div>\n

A basilica can be major or minor.\u00a0 There are only four major basilicas in the world, and they are all in Rome.\u00a0 On December 8, 1953, Pope Pius XII gave St. Mary\u2019s the distinction of a minor basilica at a Solemn Pontifical High Mass, which was celebrated by the Most Reverend William T. Mulloy, D.D. \u00a0The Covington basilica is one of only 35 minor basilicas in the United States.<\/p>\n

The St. Mary\u2019s parish in Covington has an interesting history.\u00a0 The first Catholic church in Covington, St. Mary\u2019s has had as its home a church, a cathedral, and finally a basilica.\u00a0 The current church on Madison Avenue is the third home of the St. Mary\u2019s parish.<\/p>\n

The first church opened in 1837, and by 1851 the parish had outgrown it. \u00a0By 1868, the parish had again outgrown their church, this one on Eighth Street between Greenup and Scott streets, which was designated as a cathedral \u2013 the bishop\u2019s church.\u00a0 There was a lack of adequate funding until 1885, when the Most Reverend Camillus Paul Maes, the Third Bishop of the Diocese of Covington, began planning the Cathedral. He purchased the Delaney and McVeigh lots at the northeast corner of Twelfth and Madison for the church, as that point was considered the center of Covington at the time.\u00a0 By late 1893, plans were finalized between Bishop Maes and architect Leon Coquard, subscriptions to help finance the construction were purchased, and on April 13, 1894, ground was broken.<\/p>\n

On September 8, 1895, Bishop Maes placed the cornerstone, and by September of 1897 the vaults, columns and walls of the crucifix-shaped shell of the nave, transept and apse were complete. By January 1901, money had run out, so a plain brick wall, rather than an elaborate fa\u00e7ade, was constructed to temporarily seal off the church from the elements, and plain glass windows, glazed to remove the glare, were placed in lieu of stained glass.\u00a0 On January 27 of that year, Bishop Maes dedicated his church.<\/p>\n

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The main organ, one of three, in the Cathedral Basilica.<\/p><\/div>\n

By 1908, funds had been raised to complete the fa\u00e7ade and the stained glass windows, which were finished by 1910.\u00a0 Bishop Maes concentrated on the interior until he died in 1915, and Bishop Brossart continued his efforts.\u00a0 He worked with world renowned Covington artist Frank Duvenek, who painted large murals for the walls of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.\u00a0 Eighty-two stained glass windows, made in Munich, Germany, adorn the church.\u00a0 The north transept window is the world\u2019s largest stained glass window in a church, measuring 67 feet by 24 and representing the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus.\u00a0 Two 26-foot rose windows, on the rear of the church and the south transept, picture a papal tiara and the Alpha and Omega symbols.\u00a0 Windows behind the altar represent the miracles of Christ.\u00a0 The spiritual symbolism turns comical in one stained glass window that features a disciple with eyeglasses.<\/p>\n

In 1946 the interior was renovated.\u00a0 The antique verde marble floor, the altar, and the baldachino, or canopy over the altar, was installed.\u00a0 Carved of Appalachian Oak, it represents 16 saints.\u00a0 Like the rest of the church, the area surrounding the pulpit is full of symbolism; the carvings of preachers illustrate the theme of teaching, and the Cathedra, or bishop\u2019s chair, symbolizes the Bishop\u2019s teaching authority.<\/p>\n

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Each Station of the Cross in the Cathedral Basilica is a mosaic consisting of as many as 80,000 tiles.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are four shrines in the church.\u00a0 The canopaeum and tintinnabulum near the St. Joseph Shrine are a testament to the Cathedral\u2019s status as a basilica.\u00a0 The elegant baptistery was carved from one piece of limestone.\u00a0 The mosaic work of the Stations of the Cross contain up to 80,000 tiles, which were made in Venice, Italy.<\/p>\n

The historic Matthias Schwab Organ (1859) at the rear of the church was carried pipe-by-pipe two blocks from the church of Old St. Joseph on Twelfth and Greenup streets in 1975 when that parish combined with St. Mary\u2019s.\u00a0 Old St. Joe\u2019s was demolished, but a great tradition of concerts was begun and still continues today.\u00a0 Three organs, the pipe organ in the south transept balcony, a smaller Wicks organ and the Schwab organ, amount to 83 ranks.\u00a0 When the three organs are played together, there are 4576 pipes echoing through the lofty cathedral.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral Concert Series features concert organists from all over the world, as well as orchestras, brass quintets, and choirs, in performances of classical and western liturgical compositions by Bach, Haydn, and other composers of classical western sacred music by musicians from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Northern Kentucky University, Queen City Brass and various individuals and musical groups, including the May Festival and the Vocal Arts Ensemble.\u00a0 The series is in its 34th<\/sup> season.\u00a0 The concerts, which are free to the public, are held monthly on Sunday afternoons, October through April.\u00a0 A schedule is available at www.home.fuse.net\/timbrel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Though the Basilica owes its name to its significance in the Catholic community, the church is embraced by non-Catholic Covingtonians, Cincinnatians, and tourists as an architectural masterpiece and historic treasure. \u00a0The recent restoration won the 2002 Preservation Award from Cincinnati Preservation Association.\u00a0 The Basilica has 70,000 visitors each year, and with good reason \u2013 the church is breathtakingly beautiful inside and out.\u00a0 The Cathedral Gardens in the area of the south transept and sacristy were designed by landscape architect John Bentley.\u00a0 A Peace Pole, a symbol of universal peace, which was given to the Cathedral by the Peace and Justice Center and dedicated on the anniversary of the Hiroshima destruction, extends the Sign of Peace, one of my favorite parts of the Mass, to everyone.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral is open for self-guided tours Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.\u00a0 Free brochures are available at the greeter\u2019s desk in Spanish, German, Russian, French and Japanese.\u00a0 Guided tours for groups of 10 or more can be arranged by calling two weeks in advance (859-431-2060.17).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Editor’s note: Lissa posted this article on her website on March 4, 2010. She loved visiting historic churches, and the Basilica was one of her favorite places.) \u00a0 By Lissa Kramer St. Mary\u2019s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, or simply, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":346,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=139"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":481,"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/139\/revisions\/481"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/melissakramerscincinnati.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}